Xh a1 or XL H1A? at DVinfo.net
DV Info Net

Go Back   DV Info Net > Canon EOS / MXF / AVCHD / HDV / DV Camera Systems > Canon HDV and DV Camera Systems > Canon XH Series HDV Camcorders

Canon XH Series HDV Camcorders
Canon XH G1S / G1 (with SDI), Canon XH A1S / A1 (without SDI).

Reply
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread
Old April 20th, 2008, 02:12 PM   #1
Tourist
 
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: Vancouver
Posts: 2
Xh a1 or XL H1A?

I'm planning to buy a camcorder this summer and I know the XL H1A is coming out soon so I was wondering if it will be far superior than the XH A1?
any recommendations?
I will mainly be shooting music videos and short films for film school.
thanks alot,

david
David Choi is offline   Reply With Quote
Old April 20th, 2008, 02:28 PM   #2
Major Player
 
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: Winter Park, FL
Posts: 978
Quote:
Originally Posted by David Choi View Post
I'm planning to buy a camcorder this summer and I know the XL H1A is coming out soon so I was wondering if it will be far superior than the XH A1?
any recommendations?
I will mainly be shooting music videos and short films for film school.
thanks alot,

david
Well from what I have read there are a few improvements to the camera. Audio wise they have added a limiter to both channels. You can use the onboard mic as well as an XLR input at the same time. They have also improved the lens to where it can zoom and focus at the same time. The other "big change" is the body style. Do you want the shoulder mount or will the smaller body fit fine? The other question is the added cost and the ability to use an A1 now. In terms of visual quality they will be virtually the same as they still use the exact same imaging block and I have not heard of any visual improvement to the lens.
__________________
Simple Thought Productions - Life @ 30,000 Words per second
Josh Chesarek is offline   Reply With Quote
Old April 20th, 2008, 02:34 PM   #3
Obstreperous Rex
 
Join Date: Jan 2001
Location: San Marcos, TX
Posts: 27,366
Images: 513
There is no difference in image quality.

There are differences in the way that audio control is managed, and there are certain advantages to the lens design in the XL H1A over the XH A1. The improvements in the XL H1A make it a better camera in certain respects, but the fundamental concept to grasp is that they both contain the same image sensor block, image processor, and optical quality. The post above from Josh is dead on.
__________________
CH

Search DV Info Net | 20 years of DVi | ...Tuesday is Soylent Green Day!
Chris Hurd is offline   Reply With Quote
Old April 20th, 2008, 05:00 PM   #4
Regular Crew
 
Join Date: Jun 2004
Posts: 36
That is really the 2-3 thousand $ question.

The XL is a different form factor with more weight and a few easier to access controls (direct buttons vs multi step menus).

From the footage I have seen, I detect some difference in optical quality. The two cameras do not share the same identical lens.

There are times I really like the smaller Xh but when it comes to ease of use and the ultimate in HDV quality, the XL is tough to beat.
Hoy Quan is offline   Reply With Quote
Old April 21st, 2008, 05:44 AM   #5
Regular Crew
 
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: Barcelona, Spain
Posts: 93
Manual focus+electronic zoom

Quote:
Originally Posted by Josh Chesarek View Post
They have also improved the lens to where it can zoom and focus at the same time.
Sorry for my ignorance, but what means this? If I'm doing a zoom I can't adjust focus?
When happens this: manual focus+manual zoom ring or/and manual focus+electronic (buttons) zoom?

Thanks.
Mikel Arturo is offline   Reply With Quote
Old April 21st, 2008, 06:20 AM   #6
Major Player
 
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: Winter Park, FL
Posts: 978
The cannon lens for the XHA1 is servo controlled. In the XHA1 lens the servo is shared between the zoom and focus feature. So it can only adjust one at a time. Most of the time this issue does not impact people for day to day shooting but if you are trying to zoom and focus at the same time it wont. The new one can do both at the same time. I usually zoom in and set critical focus and zoom out and I am good.
__________________
Simple Thought Productions - Life @ 30,000 Words per second
Josh Chesarek is offline   Reply With Quote
Old April 21st, 2008, 06:45 AM   #7
Wrangler
 
Join Date: Sep 2001
Location: Northern VA
Posts: 4,487
Quote:
In the XHA1 lens the servo is shared between the zoom and focus feature.
Only if Canon significantly dumbed down the lens from the GL series, which has separate servo motors for focus and for zoom. The issue goes more to the complexity of sensing, tracking, and controlling both zoom and focus at the same time. That requires significantly more computing power.
__________________
dpalomaki@dspalomaki.com
Don Palomaki is offline   Reply With Quote
Old April 21st, 2008, 08:12 AM   #8
Contributor
 
Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: Kansas City, MO
Posts: 4,449
If the lens on the new upgrades is the same as the XL H1, then the lens on the XH A1/G1 is significantly wider, which to me makes the camera more desirable. For the types of shooting I do, I'd have to buy the wide angle lens too if I used an XL camera.
Bill Pryor is offline   Reply With Quote
Old April 21st, 2008, 08:48 AM   #9
Major Player
 
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: Winter Park, FL
Posts: 978
Quote:
Originally Posted by Don Palomaki View Post
Only if Canon significantly dumbed down the lens from the GL series, which has separate servo motors for focus and for zoom. The issue goes more to the complexity of sensing, tracking, and controlling both zoom and focus at the same time. That requires significantly more computing power.
If that is the case I stand corrected, but in the end, you can still only do one or the other on the A1. Thanks for the info.
__________________
Simple Thought Productions - Life @ 30,000 Words per second
Josh Chesarek is offline   Reply With Quote
Old April 21st, 2008, 08:52 AM   #10
Obstreperous Rex
 
Join Date: Jan 2001
Location: San Marcos, TX
Posts: 27,366
Images: 513
Bill is right: the built-in lens on the XH series has a wider field of view than the stock lens included with the XL series.

Don is right: the lenses have always had separate motors for focus and zoom, but only the new stock 20x lens for the XL H1S / H1A is able to pull focus and zoom at the same time. The XH lens cannot do this.
__________________
CH

Search DV Info Net | 20 years of DVi | ...Tuesday is Soylent Green Day!
Chris Hurd is offline   Reply With Quote
Old April 21st, 2008, 08:57 AM   #11
Regular Crew
 
Join Date: Jun 2004
Posts: 36
The XH is wider than the XL. Both are 20X so you will lose some telephoto reach on the XH but gain on wide angle shots. I have noticed more chromatic aberrations (purple fringing) on the XH when opened to full wide. While the two cameras share the same imaging system, the optical end is different. Your application and budget would dictate which will fit your requirements best.
Hoy Quan is offline   Reply With Quote
Old April 21st, 2008, 10:02 AM   #12
Major Player
 
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: Great Neck, NY
Posts: 291
Quote:
Originally Posted by Josh Chesarek View Post
The cannon lens for the XHA1 is servo controlled. In the XHA1 lens the servo is shared between the zoom and focus feature. So it can only adjust one at a time. Most of the time this issue does not impact people for day to day shooting but if you are trying to zoom and focus at the same time it wont. The new one can do both at the same time. I usually zoom in and set critical focus and zoom out and I am good.

I hit this whenever I am trying to dolly in or out while zooming to keep the framing the same. Thats a problem :/
__________________
Stephen Eastwood
http://www.StephenEastwood.com
Stephen Eastwood is offline   Reply With Quote
Old April 21st, 2008, 10:49 AM   #13
Major Player
 
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: Winter Park, FL
Posts: 978
Quote:
Originally Posted by Stephen Eastwood View Post
I hit this whenever I am trying to dolly in or out while zooming to keep the framing the same. Thats a problem :/
Ah, they used that in jaws right? Flew in to the girl in the water while zooming out.
__________________
Simple Thought Productions - Life @ 30,000 Words per second

Last edited by Josh Chesarek; April 21st, 2008 at 11:00 AM. Reason: misunderstood
Josh Chesarek is offline   Reply With Quote
Old April 21st, 2008, 10:58 AM   #14
Major Player
 
Join Date: May 2007
Location: Ireland
Posts: 579
I love that shot, so hard to get it right though isn't it.
I had been meaning to try it with my new merlin and the remote control for my XHA1
in my hand using the zoom button on it at a fixed speed.
It now seems I'll be fighting a losing battle eh.

Last edited by Pete Bauer; April 21st, 2008 at 11:05 AM. Reason: removed profanity
Ger Griffin is offline   Reply With Quote
Old April 21st, 2008, 11:54 AM   #15
Trustee
 
Join Date: Jun 2004
Location: Denver, Colorado
Posts: 1,891
My recollection of the early days of the XH-A1 was the issue of "focus pulsing" when zooming. Thereafter, we came up with the explanation that the servo couldn't zoom and focus at the same time.

I didn't see it at first, until I viewed the frames I could see the focus go out, and then in, during the zoom, pulsing.

But I don't think I saw the zoom itself pulse. And the auto focus doesn't just wait until the zooming stops, it makes stepped movements.

So it doesn't seem entirely true to me, that the lens can't zoom and focus at the same time.
Tom Roper is offline   Reply
Reply

DV Info Net refers all where-to-buy and where-to-rent questions exclusively to these trusted full line dealers and rental houses...

B&H Photo Video
(866) 521-7381
New York, NY USA

Scan Computers Int. Ltd.
+44 0871-472-4747
Bolton, Lancashire UK


DV Info Net also encourages you to support local businesses and buy from an authorized dealer in your neighborhood.
  You are here: DV Info Net > Canon EOS / MXF / AVCHD / HDV / DV Camera Systems > Canon HDV and DV Camera Systems > Canon XH Series HDV Camcorders

Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search

 



All times are GMT -6. The time now is 10:37 PM.


DV Info Net -- Real Names, Real People, Real Info!
1998-2024 The Digital Video Information Network